A torquer assembly may be energized or controlled by an inertial sensor unit, in order to stabilize a platform in inertial space. The platform may be a seeker in a target tracking missile, the seeker being de-coupled from the motions of the missile through am inertial sensor unit and the torquer assembly. The usefulness of the torquer assembly is, however, not limited to these applications.
Conventionally, a platform is mounted in gimbals. Torquers are placed on the gimbal axes and act between the structure and the outer gimbal or between the gimbals, respectively, each torquer about one associated gimbal axes. The platform represents the inner gimbal.
The prior art torquer assemblies are expensive and bulky, and, in many cases such as in seeker heads for target tracking missiles, can hardly be employed.